초록 ▼

A data processing system and method for use with a process control system enables a plurality of process plants associated with different business entities to share a remotely situated data processing facility. The data processing facility includes a cluster of redundant servers that are communicati

A data processing system and method for use with a process control system enables a plurality of process plants associated with different business entities to share a remotely situated data processing facility. The data processing facility includes a cluster of redundant servers that are communicatively coupled via a local network. Each of the redundant servers is adapted to acquire and process data received from the plurality of process plants. The data processing facility also includes a plurality of redundant data historians that are communicatively coupled to each other and to the cluster of redundant servers for storage of process data and analysis results. Each of the plurality of process plants includes internet-enabled field devices, internet-enabled field device interfaces, and/or internet-enabled data concentration nodes that send information to and receive information from the data processing facility via the Internet.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A data processing system for use with a process control system, the data processing system comprising: a first processing plant communicatively coupled to an open network; a second processing plant communicatively coupled to the open network; a primary server communicatively

What is claimed is: 1. A data processing system for use with a process control system, the data processing system comprising: a first processing plant communicatively coupled to an open network; a second processing plant communicatively coupled to the open network; a primary server communicatively coupled to the open network, wherein the primary server is adapted to execute a data processing application; and a primary data historian communicatively coupled to the primary server, wherein the primary server is adapted to remotely receive first process control information originated by a device of the first processing plant via the open network and remotely receive second process control information originated by a device of the second processing plant via the open network and to store a portion of the received first and second process control information in the primary data historian and wherein the primary server is further adapted to use the data processing application to generate first analysis results specific to the first processing plant from the first process control information and send the first analysis results to the first processing plant via the open network and to use the data processing application to generate second analysis results specific to the second processing plant from the second process control information and send the second analysis results to the second processing plant via the open network. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a redundant server that is communicatively coupled to the primary server and the primary data historian, wherein the redundant server is adapted to maintain synchronization with the primary server and to supersede the primary server in response to one of a failure indication and degradation indication associated with the primary server. 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a redundant data historian that is communicatively coupled to the primary server, the redundant server and the primary data historian, wherein the redundant data historian is adapted to maintain data synchronization with the primary data historian and to supersede the primary data historian in response to one of a failure indication and degradation indication of the primary data historian. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the open network is the Internet. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first process plant is in a first geographic location and the second process plant is in a second geographic location different from the first geographic location. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first process plant is associated with a first business entity and the second process plant is associated with a second business entity. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing application is adapted to perform one of a plant optimization function, a real-time process monitoring function, a data reconciliation function, a plant emissions analysis function, a plant emissions control function, a dispatch function, a plant control function and an alarming function. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing application is adapted to perform a data correction function. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data correction function is one of a digital verification function, a data validation function, a data reconciliation function and a data source re-calibration function. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing application uses continuous emissions monitoring data to generate a plant emissions report. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data processing application generates the plant emissions report using a format defined by a governmental authority and communicates the plant emissions report to the governmental authority. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing application performs one of a plant emissions minimization and a plant emissions optimization using one of a shared vector gradient technique, a neural net technique and a Fibonacci search technique. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing application performs a compensatory control function in response to emissions data received from one of the first and second process plants. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing application uses an internet browser application as a visualization layer. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the internet browser application is executed within a user interface that is physically remote from the first and second process plants. 16. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second process plants further comprises one of an internet-enabled field device, an internet-enabled field device interface and a data concentration node. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one of the internet-enabled field device, an internet-enabled field device interface and a data concentration node includes an embedded data server and an embedded data historian communicatively coupled to the embedded data server. 18. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second plants includes a digital communication network based on one of an RS485, Foundation Fieldbus, Ethernet TCP/IP and a wireless blue tooth protocol. 19. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second plants and the primary server uses a data compression technique to transmit information via the open network. 20. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processing plant is disparate from the first processing plant. 21. The system of claim 1 wherein the first processing plant comprises first equipment necessary to carry out a first industrial process and the second processing plant comprises second equipment necessary to carry out a second industrial process. 22. A data processing system for use with a process control system, the data processing system comprising: a cluster of redundant servers that are communicatively coupled via a local network, wherein each of the redundant servers is adapted to acquire and process data; a plurality of redundant data historians that are communicatively coupled to each other and to the cluster of redundant servers; and a plurality of process plants that are remotely and communicatively coupled to the cluster of redundant servers via an internet, wherein the plurality of process plants is associated with a plurality of business entities, and wherein the cluster of redundant servers is adapted to execute a data processing application that processes information originated by devices of the plurality of process plants and generates independent analysis results for each process plant from the information originated by the devices of that plant that are accessible by a user via the internet. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the data processing application includes one of a data analysis tool, a remote process management tool, a process optimization tool, a continuous emissions monitoring and minimization tool, a distributed power management tool, a dispatch and optimization tool, a centralized multi-client HVAC system monitoring and maintenance management tool, a remote water and waste processing facility monitoring and control tool, a pharmaceutical process tool, a biotechnology process tool and a semiconductor process tool. 24. The system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of process plants includes one of an internet-enabled field device, an internet-enabled field device interface and a data concentration node. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the one of the internet-enabled field device, an internet-enabled field device interface and a data concentration node includes an embedded data server and an embedded data historian. 26. A method of acquiring, analyzing and reporting process plant data, comprising the steps of: remotely receiving information originated by devices of a plurality of disparate process plants associated with a plurality of business entities via an internet; processing the remotely received information using a data processing application stored on one or more of a cluster of redundant servers associated with a vendor business entity that is different from the plurality of business entities to generate analysis results for each of the plurality of process plants; storing the analysis results in a plurality of redundant data historians that are communicatively coupled to the cluster of redundant servers; providing access to the analysis via the internet; and billing each of the plurality of business entities based on one of respective data usage and type and processing time. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of receiving the information from the plurality of process plants includes the step of receiving a first part of the information from a first process plant in a first geographic location and a second part of the information from a second process plant is in a second geographic location that is physically remote from the first geographic location, wherein the first process plant is associated with a first one of the plurality of business entities and the second process plant is associated with a second one of the plurality of business entities. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of processing the received information includes the step of performing one of a plant optimization function, a real-time process monitoring function, a data reconciliation function, a plant emissions analysis function, a plant emissions control function, a dispatch function, a plant control function and an alarming function. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of processing the received information using the cluster of redundant servers associated with the vendor business entity that is different from the plurality of business entities to generate the analysis results includes the step of performing a data correction function. 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of processing the received information using the cluster of redundant servers associated with the vendor business entity that is different from the plurality of business entities to generate the analysis results includes the step of using continuous emissions monitoring data to generate a plant emissions report. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of using continuous emissions monitoring to generate the plant emissions report includes the step of using a format defined by a governmental authority. 32. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of processing the received information using the cluster of redundant servers associated with the vendor business entity that is different from the plurality of business entities to generate the analysis results includes the step of performing one of a plant emissions minimization and optimization using one of a shared vector gradient technique, a neural net technique and a Fibonacci search technique. 33. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of sending a first part of the received information from one of the plurality of process plants to the cluster of redundant servers using one of an internet-enabled field device, an internet-enabled field device interface and a data concentration node. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of sending the first part of the information from the one of the plurality of process plants to the cluster of redundant servers using the one of an internet-enabled field device, an internet-enabled field device interface and a data concentration node includes the step of using an embedded data server to send the first part of the information. 35. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of billing each of the plurality of business entities includes the step of billing each of the plurality of business entities in accordance with one of a rental agreement, an off-book operating lease agreement and a financial lease agreement for respective costs that are less than the costs associated with the costs that would otherwise be incurred by each of the plurality of processing plants to generate the analysis results. 36. The method of claim 26, wherein the analysis results include cost accounting information for each of the plurality of processing plants. 37. A data processing system for use with a process control system, the data processing system comprising: a first processing plant communicatively coupled to an open network; a second processing plant disparate from the first processing plant that is communicatively coupled to the open network; a remote user interface communicatively coupled to the open network; a server communicatively coupled to the open network, wherein the server is adapted to execute a data processing application; and a data historian communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the server is adapted to remotely receive first process control information originated by a device of the first processing plant via the open network and remotely receive second process control information originated by a device of the second processing plant via the open network and to store a portion of the received first and second process control information in the data historian and wherein the server is further adapted to use the data processing application to generate independent analysis results for each processing plant from the process control information originated by the devices of that processing plant and send the analysis results to the remote user interface via the open network. 38. The system of claim 37, wherein the remote user interface is associated with a regulatory authority. 39. The system of claim 38, wherein the regulatory authority is the Environmental Protection Agency. 40. The system of claim 37, further comprising a redundant server communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the redundant server is adapted to maintain synchronization with the server and to supersede the server in response to one of a failure indication and degradation indication associated with the server.